"Going to school." After struggling to comprehend Eleven's question, Hesta replied, "Going to school."
"Ah?" Eleven said happily, "What's the use of going to school! You might as well just hang out with me here!"
Hesta was a little confused. Although she didn't understand what her words were funny, seeing Eleven smiling happily, she also made a smile.
"But it doesn't matter even if you can't find it," Eleven suddenly coughed a few times, and then patted Hesta's thigh earnestly, "You can also stay in Mei County in the future, stay with me, I can still Cover you."
…
After leaving the grocery store, the two did not return immediately. Eleven took Hesta to a nearby evening market. It was almost time to close the stalls, and most of the merchants were packing up their belongings and preparing to leave.
Eleven walked skillfully through the stalls, picking out ingredients of acceptable quality from the discarded fruit and vegetable cartons. Hesta followed Eleven, holding the bag for her just like she did at noon.
After the stalls were closed, there were only many standing metal poles left in the market. They were cast long or short shadows by different street lights. The lights hanging on the stalls went out one after another, leaving only the dim orange street lights high up. The color of everything was distorted by being covered with a layer of light gold, as if they had entered a world that had been added. The fake world of filters.
The night wind floats on the street trees, and the rustling of the leaves makes everything look even more desolate.
Hesta walked through these shadows in a daze. She didn't think about anything, she just walked slowly behind Eleven.
Until they came to a large pile of boxes that was surrounded by more than a dozen people at the same time. Eleven rushed into the crowd vigorously, constantly pulling the adults standing in front of her.
During the pushing and shoving, someone staggered out from the crowd and fell down next to Hesta.
This person was holding two cucumbers and a piece of lettuce in her hands. Several potatoes rolled out of her arms, and one of them just stopped at Hesta's feet.
Hesta glanced at it, put the toes of her feet against the potato, rubbed it slightly, and then picked up the potato from the ground. She was carrying a suitcase and some plastic bags in her left hand. It was inconvenient to grab the items, so she simply stretched out her right arm and guided the potatoes into her arms.
When he turned sideways to return the potatoes, Hesta was startled.
Under the streetlight, Yugali was still sitting on the ground, looking at her in shock.
"What a coincidence," Hesta murmured, a smile appearing on her face unconsciously, "...Good evening!"
…
Several people came to a small park near the market.
There is only a small piece of open green space and a flower bed, and a cool white street lamp stands high.
At this time, no other pedestrians passed by except them.
Hesta squatted down and let Yugali check the roots of her hair. Yugali looked through it carefully, over and over again, and finally pulled out one hair with hesitation, and examined it carefully against the light, and finally confirmed that there was no trace of bleaching or dyeing on the hair.
"...You are really from Hesta." Yugali was still a little in disbelief.
"I am, of course I am! Can this still be fake?"
Yugali glanced at Hesta very lightly, and then his eyes fell.
She sat down on the bench nearby in silence and spoke for a long time: "I shouldn't have treated you like that during the day... please forgive me."
"How come you speak the language of District Three?" Hesta kept looking at her, "Are you also from District Three?"
Yugali did not answer. She kept her eyes half-open, looking at the ground at her feet calmly.
Hesta sat down next to Yugali. She put a hand on her heart and said proactively: "I was born in District 3, and I also worked there later."
Yugali couldn't help but raise his eyes, "...Then why are you coming back?"
"Take care of your body." Hestad handed over his retirement certificate again, "It's all arranged by the above, and I don't know why."
Yugali hesitantly took what Hesta handed over. She did not read the information on the document carefully. She just glanced at it and returned the certificate to Hesta.
"When you go out, keep all important things away, and don't take them out to show to others," Yugali whispered. "It's easy to get yourself into trouble."
"It doesn't matter." Hesta replied, "I'm not afraid of trouble."
Yugali looked at Hesta again, this time the gaze was no longer as quick as before, there was both confusion and surprise in his eyes.
"What's wrong?" Hesta asked.
Yugali didn't answer. She lowered her head and straightened her clothes, "You have a serious status, so you should have somewhere to go... Why are you going out to pick up trash tonight?"
"I have nowhere to go. I was originally going to Songxueyuan, but the train stopped and I had to stay in Mei County." Hesta smiled self-deprecatingly. "And I don't have a serious status. The doctor in the morning He also said that my subsequent procedures might be more troublesome."
Everything about Vera Care Center came back to Hestad's mind. She wanted to chat with the person in front of her, but when she thought of the unhappy breakup earlier, Hesta swallowed all her words.
"Where do you live?" Hesta asked, "It's getting late, should I take you back first?"
"...No, I don't plan to go back tonight," Yugali looked ahead, "It's good to just walk around outside. What about you, where are you staying now?"
"Outside the city." Hesta replied, "Eleven, this kid over here, she bought a house over there."
"Picked up a house?" Yugali thought he heard wrongly and turned back to look at Eleven, "Is your home outside the city?"
Shiyi, who had been listening to the Book of Heaven, raised his head.
"Are you talking to me?"
"Yes."
Eleven put his hands on his hips, "What does it have to do with you where I live? Mind yourself!"
Yugali looked back at Hesta angrily, "...Then you should go back quickly."
Hesta shook his head, "Where are you planning to go tonight? I don't think there is anyone here at night."
"I think this park is pretty good," Eucalyptus replied. "I can just sit on this deck chair all night and wait until tomorrow -"
"There will be dew at night. Although it is summer now, it is still easy to catch a cold, and you may not be safe alone." Hesta stood up, "If you have nowhere to go, just come with us."
…
It was late at night, and the three of them were walking on the path out of the city, with only the moonlight shining on them.
Eleven walked in the front empty-handed. Hesta and Yugali each carried a bag containing the trophies that the children had snatched back.
Yugali walked very slowly and his breathing became rapid. Hesta deliberately slowed down and said, "Are you okay? Why don't you give me your things and I can help you carry them?"
"No need." Yugali firmly refused. She glanced at the empty sleeve of Hesta's right arm, "I...that's totally fine."
